The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services announced in January that its Office for Civil Rights will open a division devoted to protecting rights of conscience and religious freedom. The Thomas More Society is available to help pro-life pregnancy centers and health care workers to take advantage of this opportunity to voice complaints and obtain protection for their religious freedom and right to follow their conscience.

In 2015, the state of California passed a law requiring pregnancy centers to post signs informing their clients that they may qualify for Medicaid-paid abortions. It sounds like they just want to make sure women are informed of all their options, But abortion providers are not required to inform women about the help available at pregnancy centers, or to allow the woman to view the ultrasound of the baby. Similar laws in other cities, such as Austin, TX, and New York City, have already been struck down as unconstitutional.

The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act protects preborn children after 20 weeks gestation. Polls show that 60- 64% of Americans support legal protection of pain-capable unborn children. The House has passed similar bills in 2013 and 2015 but they were not passed by the Senate, then controlled by Democrats who opposed the bill.

A federal judge issued a gag order forbidding release of undercover videos filmed during the National Abortion Federation Annual Conventions of 2014 and 2015. It was held up at the first level of appeal, but is clearly an unconstitutional impairment of free speech. The Thomas More Society is helping with the case.

Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into law a bill banning dismemberment abortions, also known as D & E (dilation and evacuation) abortion. This procedure is used for most second trimester abortions, done between 13 and 24 weeks after the mother's last menstrual period.

Data on Fertility Awareness Based Methods (FABM) of Family Planning on the Center for Disease Control web site came from flawed studies which show a low effectiveness rate. More recent, controlled studies show very high effectiveness rates. A petition has been organized to ask the CDC to update its data to show more accurate results. Click on title to learn more.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act on May 4, which removes 86% of Planned Parenthood federal funding, through Medicaid and CHIP. Provisions also ensure that no federal funds are used to subsidize insurance plans that cover abortions.

On April 14, President Trump signed into law a bill allowing states to refuse Title X Family Planning funding to Planned Parenthood or other entities which provide abortion. The bill reverses Obama's executive order, made during the last months of his presidency.

Dr. Anthony Levatino, former abortionist, now pro-life, will speak at Jones Hall (3910 Yoakum) at the University of St. Thomas on Friday, Feb 24, at 7:00 pm. Doors open at 6:30 with light refreshments. The event is free and open to the public.

President Trump signed an executive order today to re-establish the policy to ban federal funds from going to organizations who do abortions or who lobby for governments to change their bans on abortion. This will remove family planning funds from International Planned Parenthood.

The company who deals in sales of fetal baby parts dropped its suit against David Daleiden, who made undercover videos exposing Planned Parenthood's willingness to sell fetal tissue, and included footage with Stem Express CEO.

A Congressional panel has referred several abortion facilities and tissue procurement companies to local authorities to be prosecuted for charges of selling fetal tissue for profit, including Planned Parenthood of the Gulf Coast.

Four Texas bishops responded to the full page ad printed Monday 9/12/16 in the Houston Chronicle, Dallas and San Antonio papers. The Catholic church stands firmly in support of human life and dignity from the moment of conception.

All Harris County charges against David Daleiden, relating to his undercover videos exposing Planned Parenthood for selling fetal body parts, have been dropped. Praise God! He is still facing charges in California.